[WILLISTON, FL]- Guardian Angels Medical Service Dogs has been selected as one of the two dozen medical service dog organizations nationwide to participate in a special initiative mandated by Congress. The primary objective of this program is to determine if the in-depth details outlined in this initiative for training and pairing service dogs meet the needs of permanently disabled service members and veterans. 

This initiative, directed by Danny Benbassat, Ph.D., Commander, U.S. Public Health Service, CofS, Assistant Professor, Department of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation, and managed by the Medical Technology Enterprise Consortium OTA and acting Wounded Warrior Service Dog Program integrator Jeremy Ramirez, DrPH, MPH, Veteran, US Army, Assistant Professor of Health Informatics, California State University Long Beach Department of Health Care Administration, was created to maintain safety measures to protect service dogs and the public while using data-driven decisions to ensure continued improvement within one of the most vulnerable communities these organizations serve. 

As a leading medical service dog organization with highly advanced programs and over a decade of experience, Guardian Angel Medical Service Dogs will work with other organizations like themselves to collect and share their best practices, which will then be used to refine and improve the prototype guidelines for future organizations when it comes time to train and pair assistance/service dogs with qualified service members and veterans.

“Guardian Angels Medical Service Dogs is proud to have been selected for this crucial project. They have been a highly sophisticated leader in this industry for nearly 14 years, bringing forth many programs above and beyond the current industry standards, thus raising the bar of excellence with our milestones and benchmarks,” said Carol Borden, Founder and CEO of Guardian Angels Medical Service Dogs.

The current “prototype guidelines” will be tested by the Guardian Angels Medical Service Dogs and other selected organizations where they can share best practices to refine existing guidelines, which will allow them to improve service dog programs. This initiative will evaluate the effectiveness of the suggested guidelines while examining a range of issues affecting service members and veterans with service dogs and those who train service dogs.

Once each organization has gathered empirical data on each of the protocols in this program, they will participate in focus group meetings for further discussion and analysis that will help build future guidelines and best practices related to the quality-of-service dog training, the optimal education and matching of service dogs with service members and veterans, and the safety to canines, service members, and the public.

“Our goal is to further shape the future of this life-changing, life-saving industry that deserves much more clarity and respect for the work these amazing dogs do every day. With this valuable opportunity to assist Congress, we will accomplish another enormous milestone in moving the service dog industry forward,” said Borden.

When the study concludes, the findings will be presented to Congress. Currently, it can take 2-10 years for someone to get a service dog. With the additional funding, Guardian Angels Medical Service Dogs will be able to hire more people and enlarge their facilities, which means they will be able to pair more dogs more quickly with veterans and service members in need. 

To learn more about Guardian Angels Medical Service Dogs, visit www.medicalservicedogs.org.

Washington, D.C. – This week, American Humane reunited retired military working dog John with his former K-9 handler, U.S. Air Force Staff Sergeant Mike Alcala, in San Antonio, Texas. The once-inseparable pair have been apart for over two years and will now be together for the holidays as John finds his forever home to live out his retirement.

The 10-year-old German shepherd served as an explosive-detection dog at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam in Hawaii for eight years. He retired this month due to old age, ending a distinguished military career spent protecting civilians, his fellow service members, and high-profile VIPs, including American presidents, first ladies, foreign dignitaries, and more. A special retirement ceremony was conducted in his honor in Hawaii last week to celebrate his years of dedicated service. 

SSgt. Alcala was John’s handler for three years, during which time the two formed an unbreakable bond. They were separated in September 2021 when SSgt. Alcala was reassigned to another base. The moment he learned that John would retire, SSgt. Alcala reached out to American Humane for help transporting his best friend home for adoption.

“We are grateful for the opportunity to bring military working dog John home for the holidays and reunite him with his best friend,” said Dr. Robin Ganzert, president and CEO of American Humane. “American Humane is honored to help give this four-legged veteran the comfortable retirement he deserves after eight years of distinguished service to our country.”

“When I found out that John was up for retirement, of course, I wanted him so bad,” said SSgt. Mike Alcala. “I heard about American Humane through a buddy of mine, so I thought I would reach out and see what American Humane could do for me and John. They were gracious to help go pick him up in Hawaii, transport him back to me, and without me having to pay anything. It’s just been a blessing for us.”

In addition to transporting John from Hawaii to San Antonio, American Humane is also covering all of John’s veterinary care for the rest of his life.

During the emotional reunion on Wednesday, Dec. 20, SSgt. Alcala and his wife, Brittany Alcala, introduced their 10-month-old daughter to John—the newest member of the Alcala family. 

MILITARY WORKING DOG REUNIFICATION BACKGROUND:

• K-9 handlers and their military working dogs form unbreakable bonds while serving our country. Unfortunately, however, they are often separated when one of them retires or is reassigned.

• When a military dog is retired from service, it can be difficult for the military to track down their latest handler for adoption, let alone figure out how to transport the dog home. The extensive process involves a lot of paperwork, headaches, and red tape, and the costs and responsibilities usually fall on the handler.

• American Humane handles the complex process of international and national transport of retired K-9 veterans on behalf of their former military handlers, who are thrilled to adopt them.

• Handlers reach out to American Humane for help reuniting with their K-9 counterparts. The organization covers the travel costs to transport the dog, as well as the dog’s ongoing veterinary care.

• Like humans, K-9 veterans often retire with health complications that require expensive medical care. The government does not cover these costs. That’s why American Humane covers all veterinary bills for the working dogs it brings home—ensuring these K-9 veterans get the comfortable, dignified retirements they deserve.